Long-Expected Fowler Square in Fort Greene Finally Reopens to the Public

A popular pedestrian plaza has finally reopened in Fort Greene. It opened Friday and when Brownstoner stopped by Tuesday before the thunderstorm, locals were sitting under the trees and enjoying the brief preview of summer weather.

The plaza has been widened and paved. New trees have been added to the space along with new seating and bike parking racks. The statue of Edward Brush Fowler, the Union Army officer and Brooklyn resident, has been moved to allow more space for seating.

Located at the intersection of South Elliot Place, Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street, Fowler Square initially opened in May 2012. A year later, a redesign was already being touted by the Fulton Area Business Alliance.

Managed by the Fulton Area Business Alliance and the Department of Transportation, the new plaza temporarily closed in April 2017 so workers could make the plaza permanent by paving the gravel area that was originally a stretch of South Elliot Place. The space was supposed to reopen in September 2017 but that date slipped until Friday.

Not all local businesses have been happy with the effect the construction work has had on the neighborhood.

“They were building this pedestrian plaza and it took longer than expected, which hurt everyone around the triangle,” said Dimitrios Koutroumanos, the owner of Academy Restaurant on Lafayette Avenue across from the plaza, told Brooklyn Paper in a story this week about dedicated bus lanes in the area. “The scheduling was pretty horrific.”

[Photos by Craig Hubert]

Related Stories

• Renderings of Fort Greene’s Fowler Square
• The Grand Opening of Fowler Square is Today
• Fowler Square Renovation Has Begun in Fort Greene

Email tips@brownstoner.com with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.